HaugenRealty.com: January/February 2007 Home Resource


Buying and selling a house is one thing. Making a house a home is quite another. Whether you own or rent your living space, we hope this information will be useful to you in your unique setting.		January/February 2007 Home Resource Should You Sell During the "Off-Season?" Traditionally, to get top dollar, sellers would put their house up for sale in the spring, but these days houses sell 12 months a year! In order to get top dollar, sellers need to be just as market savvy as buyers. This means that sellers need to be better prepared and work harder to have their house stand out among the others for sale. Here are 8 ways to do just that: Know The Competition The best way to understand the competition is to study other listings through local newspapers and websites. Price It Right The most critical step in selling a home is pricing. Don't try to get what your neighbors got six months ago, the market has most likely changed. Pricing your home right from the get-go is important since a home remains "fresh" for only the first three weeks. Some sellers who are eager to sell are even pricing their houses below market rate. Incentives Some sellers are offering incentives to buyers in order to attract their attention, such as: paying closing costs, some repairs, and gift certificates. Do a Pre-Inspection Know what potential buyers may want corrected before they even know by having an inspection done before you list. Since buyers are concerned about energy costs, repairing or updating the heating system and insulation will also help. Make Your House Look Its Best Fix the little things (click here for ideas). If you need to paint, choose a neutral color palette. If you want to tackle the big jobs, make sure to put your money into the most sought after projects such as kitchens and bathrooms, but don't expect to get every dollar back out. Remember the Season Think fall & winter colors when decorating, rather than springtime pastels. When it comes to holiday decor, keep it "lite" to avoid too much personalizing. Remain Flexible Never say what your absolute bottom line would be, you don't want to close a door before you even have an offer. Be Optimistic Potential buyers at this time of year are often more serious than spring and summer browsers. Back to this month's Home Resource